I don't agree with that. Effort clearly was there. They kept competing even when shots weren't falling and tipped balls went the wrong way. We just went up against a team that has been together a bit longer and it showed in terms of offense MSU ran - and the rebounds (MSU is perrenially one of the best rebounding teams in the conference and that comes from coaching). We shot 37% from the floor and still took MSU to overtime on the road. That's effort.
Michigan State 85, Illinois 82 OT Postgame
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They are a collection of one dimensional bags who got some incredibly timely calls, and we let em off the hook with a bad shooting night. 8-10 games, we boat race them.
Hook and holds are real.
You'd never know with this officiating crew but they exist.
You'd never know with this officiating crew but they exist.
Two thoughts.
1. I wonder what the B1G's leader of officiating would say if shown the video of Fears not only moving sideways but undeniably throwing his hip out to hit Mirk hard and knock him down...but no foul. Then show the tape of Tomi's last foul which was called on him in spite of vertical defensive position and no contact?
2, Why does BU allow Z to rebound too weakly? Grab the ball with both hands and keep it above your head. Every game he gives up 2-5 possessions by allowing little guys to steal his lunch by not securing it first with both hands. Mirk is pretty terrific at it, but Z is pretty weak. Other than that, his game has improved steadily all season and I love him in the lineup.
But the bottom line for this loss is our guys simply did not hit shots...some of that cause was the quickness and effort of their defense....some of that was those damn gnomes. And yet it was a one score loss in overtime at Breslin on a cold night in East Lansing. Not exactly as disasterous as a home loss to Northwestern.
1. I wonder what the B1G's leader of officiating would say if shown the video of Fears not only moving sideways but undeniably throwing his hip out to hit Mirk hard and knock him down...but no foul. Then show the tape of Tomi's last foul which was called on him in spite of vertical defensive position and no contact?
2, Why does BU allow Z to rebound too weakly? Grab the ball with both hands and keep it above your head. Every game he gives up 2-5 possessions by allowing little guys to steal his lunch by not securing it first with both hands. Mirk is pretty terrific at it, but Z is pretty weak. Other than that, his game has improved steadily all season and I love him in the lineup.
But the bottom line for this loss is our guys simply did not hit shots...some of that cause was the quickness and effort of their defense....some of that was those damn gnomes. And yet it was a one score loss in overtime at Breslin on a cold night in East Lansing. Not exactly as disasterous as a home loss to Northwestern.
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The game came down to fears getting phantom calls late in regulation and OT and we did not get calls when we legit absorbed contact. It’s that simple.
We can disagree, but the good news is we still can control the BIG, beat whiskey and the loosiers this week and get ready for the show down at home against MI. Go Illini!
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
At least three times in recent years in the aftermath of losing a close one in Breslin I’ve said to myself “That was ours to take and we left it on the table.”
Add another one. It’s frustrating. We rebound we win. We protect the lane we win. It’s infuriating we allowed Fears and Izzo to go home tonight victors.
Add another one. It’s frustrating. We rebound we win. We protect the lane we win. It’s infuriating we allowed Fears and Izzo to go home tonight victors.
We definitely disagree, but I like your last post anyway. 
Blame the refs all you want but watch the replays. We kept running into Fears every time he would go up to shoot in the lane at the end of the game. Everyone knew he was going to do it and we kept falling for it anyway. You bump a guy like that with your body while he’s shooting and they’re going to call it almost every time.
I wish Wagler would have passed out of more of his drives. MSU was really effective at letting him into the lane after giving up a switch and then doubling him in the paint. That kept them out of rotation for fewer open threes. He forced up too many bad layups and should have adjusted. A couple no calls but still bad decisions overall. If you run into two or three guys and put up a wild shot you’re less likely to get a call. Compare that to Fears who was dicing us up in the paint and getting off otherwise clean looks when he was getting fouled. Much easier call and one they will make more often.
Even with that, we had a chance but then the rebounding margin killed us. Several people commented over the last few days that a lot of things had to go wrong for us to lose this game, and they pretty much all did: lose the rebounding battle by 10+, poor shooting, off night from Wagler, falling apart defensively at the end of the game, and playing into Fears’ strengths.
I wish Wagler would have passed out of more of his drives. MSU was really effective at letting him into the lane after giving up a switch and then doubling him in the paint. That kept them out of rotation for fewer open threes. He forced up too many bad layups and should have adjusted. A couple no calls but still bad decisions overall. If you run into two or three guys and put up a wild shot you’re less likely to get a call. Compare that to Fears who was dicing us up in the paint and getting off otherwise clean looks when he was getting fouled. Much easier call and one they will make more often.
Even with that, we had a chance but then the rebounding margin killed us. Several people commented over the last few days that a lot of things had to go wrong for us to lose this game, and they pretty much all did: lose the rebounding battle by 10+, poor shooting, off night from Wagler, falling apart defensively at the end of the game, and playing into Fears’ strengths.
That is why Illinois won't go far in the NCAA TOURNAMENT because teams that are athletic and get down hill will always beat Illinois.Fears had no business getting 26 points and he can't shoot. His points come in the lane or free throw line. Illinois with all, that height and length needs to strictly play zone. Be careful because I see a slide coming with a couple losses in these remaining 7 games. I wouldn't be surprised to see 3-4 more loses.
I can always hate him more. And that little punk
OrangeBlue98
Iowa is not in a great spot right now (LvilleILL1)
- Des Moines, IA
I do not understand how the conference can look at things like this and think it’s OK. The last week has seen the national college basketball media call out MSU for its dirty play, and the conference decides they want this to be a part of the game.
If I were the conference commissioner, I’d have my officiating coordinator and assignor in my office tomorrow (don’t care that it’s Sunday) and ask what are they going to do about it. It’s embarrassing for the conference. This doesn’t happen in other conferences. Why it’s allowed to continue in this conference defies belief.
Last thought tonight: I had tremendous respect for Izzo. His teams always play fast. They always defend and rebound and play hard. And he goes deep in March with less talent than the blue bloods.
But he's lost himself. The game his teams play these days is barely recognizable as basketball. And his brazen and shameless tampering of the officiating diminishes his ability as a coach.
I take a little solace in the fact his program has likely peaked and now he's mostly just stalling any progress MSU could be making in this critical new era of college basketball.
But he's lost himself. The game his teams play these days is barely recognizable as basketball. And his brazen and shameless tampering of the officiating diminishes his ability as a coach.
I take a little solace in the fact his program has likely peaked and now he's mostly just stalling any progress MSU could be making in this critical new era of college basketball.
Not to mention the countless times Wagler got mugged. We were never winning this game with that officiating. I think it's the worst officiated game in the Underwood era.
They won 17 big ten games last year and made the elite 8. They're ranked top 10 this year, and will likely remain there coming off a top 5 win.
Like his teams or not, it's working just fine for him.
We definitely disagree, but I like your last post anyway.
I really don't think there's possibility of that with this group. Not in their DNA.Really wanted to win that just as ato MSU. But they always get away with this
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Wishing Brad says something about the reffing and Fears cheap shots in the post game presser.
I just hope we don’t lose confidence after this. Especially Wagler.
msu knows how to use their body and rebound and we have been getting away with just one handing tips to each other because of our length. not a good habit and it bite us tonight. it's a good way to not to foul but we did not hit the boards like we needed
They didn't even deem it a flagrant. It will continue because it's not disciplined. They won't even discipline in-game.
Insane to me that it wasn't a flagrant.
Yup, that concerned me more than anything else. Tomi's fall early in the game was a 'please, no' moment for a second. But he is a tough tough mfer.
Were you at the game? If not, watching a television replay when you are biased for one team is just a bit less than objective. I watched the game on a big screen. I had no problems with the officiating. Refs had no problem calling the offensive rebound foul on J Davis to get us to overtime. We shot more FTs on the road at MSU. Had we made one more FT in regulation or David Mirkovic doesn't have a lane violation we win a game a we shouldn't have in regulation.
We have a very good team. And even though they beat us down the floor a couple times and they out rebounded we competed. We will be better for the *** kicking we took on the glass.
We have a very good team. And even though they beat us down the floor a couple times and they out rebounded we competed. We will be better for the *** kicking we took on the glass.
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